In the field of automotive vehicle manufacturing it is common to employ activatable materials within cavities. Upon being activated (e.g., by heat, moisture, or otherwise), the activatable material can bond to a surface and optionally may expand (e.g., if the activatable material employs a suitable blowing agent).
It is often the case that the activatable material must conform to a generally non-planar surface topography (e.g., a topography that has a bend, a curvature, or both). It must remain in place (and not delaminate) for a sufficient period of processing and/or storage or transport.
One solution for affording a material system capable adapting to a surface topography defining a hollow cavity is illustrated in commonly owned, U.S. application Ser. No. 61/705,857 and Ser. No. 13/804,840, incorporated by reference for all purposes. See also, WO 2011/134943 (Hoefflin), incorporated by reference for all purposes. Nothwithstanding the above, there remains a need for additional solutions for achieving the stated objectives.